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Opinion: Guest Opinions

Social misbehavior and homelessness: Both need attention

By Andrew Shoemaker and Dennis Arfmann

Posted:
03/14/2014 01:00:00 AM MDT

Boulder has a social misbehavior problem in the municipal campus area, and like much of the United States, Boulder has a homelessness problem too. Some would say the problems are one in the same, but we disagree. There is some overlap, but the problems are far more complex than that, and we need to address these problems with a multi-faceted, balanced approach.

The municipal campus involves the civic area in the vicinity of the downtown farmer's market, municipal building, creek path, and library. Based on data compiled by the police department and city attorney's office, a relatively small number of individuals are responsible for a large percentage of the problems. Out of a data sample of 280 defendants, 30 of them were responsible for 220 of the 646 arrests and citations on the municipal campus. Half of the arrests and citations were for contempt of court, trespass, failure to comply, and failure to appear for court dates. Many of the defendants were arrested for more serious offenses, such as burglary, assault, robbery, kidnapping, and escape.

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That's seemingly out of proportion for such a small public area with no residences or significant business. The culture of ignoring the law in that area is a problem.

This group is not, however, representative of Boulder's homeless. Homelessness professionals who visit the municipal campus observe that among the "transient" population congregating in the municipal campus area, only approximately 20 percent of those individuals are known to be seeking assistance from social services. Unfortunately, however, many citizens associate negative experiences in the municipal campus area with the homeless, and the homeless are then stereotyped as being responsible for the culture of lawlessness in the municipal campus area. Further, this stereotype is sometimes reinforced by well-meaning citizens who argue that forcing individuals to follow rules in the municipal campus area somehow discriminates against the homeless. This does a disservice to Boulder's homeless.

Boulder's homelessness problem is one involving families, children, teenagers, single women and men. Causes of homelessness include mental health problems, addiction, family break ups, unemployment and the often simple inability to make ends meet in an expensive society. In Boulder there are hundreds who need and want assistance and are trying hard to transition themselves into a home. The reality of homelessness is that it can hit anyone who encounters an unfortunate (and often unpredictable) series of personal and financial tragedies. Homelessness is not about lawless behavior in public areas.

We need to build stepping stones out of emergency services for Boulder's homeless. Local nonprofits are in the process of analyzing how certain of the homelessness services in our city are provided, with the goal of making our services more efficient and effective. Once that data is available, we need to analyze it and take action. We also need housing for those in the Bridge House Ready to Work program and other transitional housing based solutions. And, we need to work with the region for a more comprehensive approach for a problem that is broader than the City of Boulder alone. Homelessness is not an isolated problem, so our solutions shouldn't be either.

While some of this is on the city's work plan, the city must maintain its focus and renewed commitment to addressing homelessness. We need to take action on the plans we have, such as the Boulder County 10 Year Plan to Address Homelessness. This will begin to meet the humanitarian goal of assisting those who are down and out, along with providing a constructive alternative for the small percentage of Boulder's homeless who also may be engaging in social misbehavior on the municipal campus. We need opportunities along with the accountability to help bring individuals out of bad circumstances. As such, while an additional level of behavioral rules and enforcement are needed in the civic area, this is but one step in a series of actions that the city can and should take to better our city and the lives of all people who live here.

Andrew Shoemaker is a member of Boulder's City Council. Dennis Arfmann is a member of the Board of Directors of Boulder's Bridge House.

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